


Dance Dance Communication

by AU_Ruler



Category: RWBY
Genre: Apologies, Dancing, Episode: S02E07 Dance Dance Infiltration, Fluff, M/M, Pre-Slash, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-02
Updated: 2019-06-02
Packaged: 2020-04-06 08:19:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19058839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AU_Ruler/pseuds/AU_Ruler
Summary: A dance floor is like a battlefield. And it’s one Jaune is very comfortable on. Comfortable enough to challenge Cardin to a fight.





	Dance Dance Communication

**Author's Note:**

> Happy pride month, guys!! <3

The dance started maybe a half hour ago. Jaune isn't sure. Sometime after he started his second punch, time started to lose meaning. Now that he thought about it, someone could’ve spiked it. One of the new student’s who’d arrived  _ had _ hovered over the bowl oddly near the start of the dance.

It would also explain why he thought going over to dance with Cardin was a good idea.

Jaune walked over to the back corner of the room. Cardin sat there alone. Barely paying attention to anything. There were no drinks around him. And he looked like he wanted to leave. Apparently he wanted to wait for his team, who Jaune had seen dancing together just a few seconds ago.

He came to a stop in front of the other boy. Cardin looked up at him, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. Which was understandable. After he’d saved him from the Ursa, he’d barely even looked at him. He definitely hasn’t talked to Cardin. But Jaune doesn’t ponder on that long. Instead he smiles, a bit lopsided, and offers his hand.

Cardin’s eyes narrow more. His eyes crossed as they go from Jaune to the hand that hovered inches from his face. “Arc…” He isn’t sure what he wanted to ask. The suspicion bowled over before any more words could form.

“You’re better than me at sparring,” Jaune said, and he looked over his shoulder. Nora and Ren still danced. Yang had dragged Weiss over to join her. After a second he looked back at Cardin. His eyes had followed, but now they looked back up at him. “But here I can beat you.”

“What do you mean?” Cardin asked, voice laced with every ounce of suspicion he felt.

“Let the dance floor be our battlefield.” Jaune said. There was a lilt of amusement in his voice. He could feel it. And he knew Cardin heard it from the way his eyebrows rose. But he ignored it. The punch made that easy.

It also made pulling Cardin from his chair easy. Though, catching him off guard likely also helped. Either way, Jaune pulled Cardin off his chair and toward him. Then he walked toward the floor. He only spared a look back when Cardin’s grip on him tightened. He was glad he looked. Cardin almost seemed scared. Cheeks flushed, eyes wide. The sight almost had Jaune freeze where he stood. He never would’ve figured Cardin would be uncomfortable being in the middle of people. Not after being beaten he an indefinite amount of times in front of quite a few people. But Miss Goodwitch always had the lights out when they did that. So that might explain it. Either way, Jaune changed course. Instead of in the middle of the throng, he directed them to the corner. Rather close to where Cardin had been sitting.

Then he spun Cardin to his chest. He looked at him with a cheeky smile. Just for their benefit, and to help Cardin look less spooked, he whispered “Spar begin.” Cardin frowned and rolled his eyes. Jaune took that as a good note.

When he stepped closer, Cardin stiffened. Jaune ignored it in favour of taking a small step to the left. Cardin followed half a second later. Which caused him to step on Jaune's foot. He hissed lowly in pain, and when he looked up, if he didn't know better he'd say Cardin almost looked apologetic. Either way, he removed the hand from Cardin’s waist and waved it away before he replaced it.

They continued, and Jaune’s foot was stepped on multiple times. But something made it okay. Likely the way Cardin looked whenever it happened. Face pinched for just a second like he really was sorry whenever it happened. Eyes narrowed and focused. A frustrated aura coming from him, settling only after a few steps without another mistake. Then flaring back up whenever he made another one. This time, Jaune let himself admit something he hadn’t before. Cardin looked cute. The way his eyes stayed at their feet, how he tried so hard to follow, was cute. Plain and simple. And if he admitted it to himself, well. There was no one to judge him for it.

After the first song, Cardin stopped stepping on his feet so much. It got more comfortable. So Jaune let go of Cardin’s waist, and spun him around. When he pulled him back, Cardin looked slightly frazzled.

“Don’t do that again.”

Jaune smiled. “Why not?” He raised a teasing eyebrow, and let his hand hover. Just enough to make Cardin’s eyes widen. After a few seconds, he replaced it.

“You’re an asshole.” Cardin frowned at him. But he calmed quickly.

“Pretty sure our history says  _ you’re _ the asshole,” Jaune said. It wasn’t meant to mean anything, just a side comment. But Cardin paused. Sudden enough it forced the dance to a halt. After a few seconds, they were moving again. Slow and confident. Like they had never stopped. Jaune looked at Cardin in confusion, but his eyes had went back to their feet. They were silent once more. When Cardin spoke, he almost missed it.

“Sorry.”

“What?” Jaune asked, confused.

Cardin sighed, and looked up. “Sorry. For what I did.”

Jaune frowned. Then it clicked. What he did. The blackmail. For another minute they danced in silence. Though, this time it went from comfortable to awkward and stiff. Cardin’s eyes didn’t leave him, and he could feel his growing worry. If he didn’t say anything soon, he was sure Cardin would push him away and walk out. So he tightened his grip, and brought Cardin minutely closer. Just to give himself more time. Did he forgive him?

He’d spotted him with Velvet a few times. Cardin still punched her. But there was something new to it. Friendly. And the few times he’d seen him with the rest of his team seemed different as well. Everything around Cardin seemed different. Like he was trying. Trying to make things better. Taking a minute to look at everything, Jaune would say he was. Then there was the stuff tonight. Stuff his mom had told him. It all came together kinda suddenly, and he knew he couldn’t hold a grudge. He didn’t want to.

“I forgive you,” Jaune said, and Cardin looked at him in surprise. “On one condition.” He hastened to add.

“What?” Cardin asked, frowning just a bit. Suspicious. Like Jaune would force him to do something embarrassing. The thought was tempting. But no. He wouldn’t.

“You stop bullying. I don’t want to be friends with a bully,” Jaune told him.

Cardin nodded. “I have. Velvet’s helped. A lot,” he admitted.

“Good.” Jaune smiled. And then he did something that was definitely because of the punch. He pulled Cardin closer till they were, for lack of a better word, hugging as they swayed together in their corner. Then he placed his head at Cardin’s shoulder. Cardin stiffened under him. But he didn’t pay attention. And eventually Cardin relaxed again.

A huff of laughter left him as he suddenly realized he’d grown. He was a few inches taller than Cardin now.

“What’re you laughin’ at, Arc?” Cardin questioned, hint of annoyance in his voice. Though Jaune thought it sounded less like annoyance and more like embarrassment. Which meant Cardin hadn’t relaxed as much as he’d thought. Jaune turned his head to see the pink on Cardin’s cheek. It made him smile.

“I’m getting taller than you,” Jaune told him. Amusement and teasing heavy in his voice. Cardin scoffed. But he didn’t deny it. After a minute, Jaune let him know that. When he did, Cardin turned his head slightly to meet Jaune’s gaze. His mouth opened like he was going to say something. But then he closed it, and looked away. Jaune watched as Cardin’s cheeks grew redder in the dim light.

For a second Jaune thought about moving the two or so inches to press his lips against Cardin’s cheek. Just to see if he’d get redder. But he doesn’t. Maybe if he’d had more punch he would’ve. Instead he just stayed where he was. Small smile on his face.

It was a while later, when Cardin pushed him away. Jaune’s brain stalled. Cardin had pushed him away pretty gently. For a second it confused him, until his brain clicked. The apology and condition. That's right. His brain felt oddly foggy. Something was playing. It was different from the last song he remembered. He looked at Cardin questioningly, who shrugged and looked away. Red still dusted his cheeks. Fainter than before, but darkening.

“You fell asleep,” Cardin told him, voice quiet.

“Oh,” Jaune said. “Sorry.”

Cardin didn't say anything else. He just nodded, and after a second of deliberation, stepped away. Before Jaune’s brain had fully come back online, Cardin was gone.

His face flushed when everything came back. He glanced to the punch bowl. It sat on the table, innocent. Crystal clear. Red liquid mostly gone. Jaune wasn't sure if he wanted to curse the liquid or bless it. Mostly, he felt he wanted to bless it. It had let him learn Cardin was trying to do better. Which meant a lot to him. For reasons he didn't want to think about. Not now, when the buzz was gone from his mind.

“Jaune!” Nora shouted from the middle of the dance floor. He turned to see her, cheeks flushed red from punch, doing the disco with Ren. She paused long enough to frantically wave him over. With a smile, he went to them. Dancing with his team was a welcome distraction.

He'd save thoughts of earlier for the morning. When his head was clearer. And he could mentally freak out alone.


End file.
